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Former first grade rugby league player and coach Warren Ryan
told a court today that Stephen Kearney clearly lifted Jarrod
McCracken in the tackle the former Wests Tigers player says ended
his career.

McCracken is suing, Kearney, Kearney's then club the Melbourne
Storm and Kearney's teammate Marcus Bai in the NSW Supreme Court
for more than $750,000 in damages over the tackle on May 12,
2000.

The former New Zealand captain says the spear tackle was
intentional and done with intent to cause injury.

Mr Ryan was called today as an expert witness to give his
opinion on the tackle.

He said it was clear from a video of the tackle that Stephen
Kearney lifted McCracken by grabbing hold of one leg.

"He's lifting him, otherwise how would a sixteen-and-a-half
stone man end up in the air?" he said.

When counsel for Kearney and Bai, Robert Sheldon, suggested that
it was merely his clients' momentum that caused McCracken to become
airborne, Mr Ryan could not be swayed.

"You can't change my opinion, that's my opinion ...," he
said.

"You're trying to turn a lifting tackle into a non-lifting
tackle."

Mr Sheldon also put it to Mr Ryan that the tackle was not
intentional but merely happened in the "classic heat of the moment
in rugby league circumstances".

"This is anything but classic rugby league," Mr Ryan said.

Mr Ryan said it was also highly unlikely that Kearney would not
have known of Bai's presence when he joined him in the tackle.

"It's about his 6,000th front on tackle," Mr Ryan said.

"He's aware of Bai."

At the time of the incident, McCracken was on a two-year
contract for the 2000 and 2001 seasons on a fee of $300,000 a
year.

"By reason of the injuries sustained in the subject tackle, the
plaintiff was prevented from returning to playing professional
rugby league football and his employer, Wests Tigers, terminated
its playing contract with the plaintiff," according to his
McCracken's statement of claim, tendered to the court.

McCracken said earlier in the hearing that he would have
continued his professional rugby league career, either in England
or the NRL, if he had not been injured.

The loss of his career also caused McCracken to suffer from
depression, the court was told.